It’s not easy to find a silver lining in the darkest of clouds – to grab some good, harness hope, produce something positive – from a tragedy.

Yet that’s just what Casey J. did in producing the anthology “Shattered: Stories of Lives Broken by Substance Abuse and How We Put the Pieces Back Together” after her boyfriend died of a fentanyl overdose three years ago, leaving her to raise their young son alone.

How did she do it? By believing in possible.

“The writing was very therapeutic, and I hope it helps others,” Casey J. said.

Casey J. self-published the book in September 2023 through Why Us Kids, a nonprofit founded by 11-year-old Gracie Parker of Franklin, North Carolina, who lost her mother to a drug-related accident when Gracie was only 6 months old. All proceeds from the sale of “Shattered” go directly to Why Us Kids, to help Gracie accomplish her mission in supporting children who struggle with their mental health.

Gracie has been speaking at rallies and events since she was 5 and has recently met with government officials to discuss funding to keep trauma counselors in elementary schools – funding cuts would remove them from many schools.

“I hope the book helps raise awareness and helps Gracie’s nonprofit,” Casey J. said.

Local book signing events are slated for June 8 from 1-4 p.m. at Barnes and Noble, 4445 Southmont Way, Easton; and June 9 from 1-3 p.m. at the Moravian Book Shop, 428 Main St., Bethlehem.

Several of the essayists and experts will be available to sign books and discuss their experiences, substance use disorder and the stigma surrounding it, and youth mental health.

Casey J. organized a group of writers and experts to write “Shattered,” and is doing everything in her power to promote this book to help others avoid the grief she and Gracie and the other authors have endured.

The back story

In July 2021, Casey J.’s boyfriend and father of their young son passed away from fentanyl poisoning after suffering for years from substance use disorder.

“As much as I tried to save him, he had to be the one to save himself,” Casey J. said.

To cope with his loss, she turned to writing as a form of therapy and began sharing her story on Medium, a blogging platform.

“I met so many writers struggling with similar situations,” she said. “This is when the idea of a book came to me. I knew of several people, personally, who had been affected by substance use disorder.”

She pitched the idea of combining their stories into an anthology. Most people jumped in; others didn’t, and a couple pulled out during the process.

“I wanted people to feel comfortable publishing their stories, so I’m glad the vast majority followed through, but I understand why some didn’t pursue it.”

She said she was thrilled the idea gained momentum and transformed into something real.

“I did feel a mix of emotions, though,” Casey J. said. “I thought it was cool and crazy how many people wanted to share their stories, but also sad and unsettling because so many people had been negatively affected by the disease.”

Several of the writers live and work in the Lehigh Valley, including Rhonda Miller, founder of Speak Up for Ben, and the Oasis Community Center, Bethlehem. Anthony Campolo is a licensed therapist who recovered from substance use disorder, and how helps others. Ryan McLaughlin has helped heal patients suffering from the disease through acupuncture. Nanci Hummer, owner of The Loving Piece, a metaphysical store in downtown Easton, lost her significant other to the disease.

Casey J. said Brenda Lange, editor of “Shattered” and owner of Lange Communications, was her rock. Lange interviewed Ed Bisch, a man who lost his son to an OxyContin overdose over 20 years ago and to this day is still fighting drug producer Purdue Pharma, along with so many other families affected by the opioid epidemic.

“Brenda connected me to Ed, and then Ed connected me to a few of our other contributors, including Gracie Parker,” Casey J. said.

Once she received Gracie’s contact information, she emailed Gracie’s grandmother, explained what she was doing and how she wanted Gracie to be a part of the team.

“They jumped on board,” Casey J. said. “I felt it was very important to hear the tragic story of such a young and brave advocate. She has been nothing but inspirational and I admire her courage – it’s very inspiring she’s doing all this.”

Casey J. said she interviewed maybe seven to eight contributors and wrote their stories for them, and remained in constant communication with them because she wanted to make sure she wrote down all of the information accurately.

“Then the others wrote their own stories,” she said. “I gave them guidelines and deadlines to follow. They sent their stories to me – I read them, edited, offered suggestions. Once I felt the stories were ready, that’s when I sent the manuscript to Brenda so she could properly edit.”

“I organized the book in the best possible order,” Casey J. said. “Brenda offered a lot of helpful input.”

One of her late boyfriend’s friends designed the book cover, and she hired a freelance book formatter to put the book together.

“It was a lot of work, but totally worth it.”

Casey J. said she hope the book will encourage others to speak out about their struggles with the disease and that people will have more empathy for those afflicted by addiction.

“I hope it will continue to help break the stigma, so people will feel confident and not ashamed in seeking professional help.”

“We want people to know they are not alone,” she said, “that there are resources available for them to utilize. We just want to help current and future generations.”

The June 8 book signing at Barnes and Noble will be the first, followed by the event at the Moravian Book Shop the next day.

Gracie has hosted and participated in rallies in her state of North Carolina, where she has signed copies of the book, but this is the first official book signing where a majority of “Shattered” contributors will be in attendance.

“We are very excited for our events and hope we will attract those interested in learning more about the disease or even want to come to share their stories with us,” Casey J. said, expressing her hope there will be more similar events in the future.

“Shattered” is selling through Barnes and Noble, the Moravian Book Shop and The Loving Piece as well as Amazon at amazon.com/Shattered-Stories-Broken-Substance-Together/dp/B0CJKY8B5Y and IngramSpark ingramspark.com/, an online self-publishing company.

For more information on Why Us Kids, visit whyuskids.org/.